Unanticipated Paths
by Kazahana Yukina
Summary: Life is like a box of chocolates. You'll never know what you will get. Neji X Tenten; AU: Konoha High School


**=) hey! I'm back with another NejiTen…=)**

**I got the idea when we paid a visit to my uncle. The visit went well except for the fact that there had been a brownout that lasted a couple of hours. With nothing more to do, my relatives ended up lighting candles to provide for the lost light – with a few murmurs, that is.**

**While staring at the candle flame, I was so happy to know that another story had been conceived.**

**Anyway, this is enough for the author's note. I hope you enjoy reading!=)**

**Disclaimer: Yukina owns the plot, but never the characters.**

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**UNANTICIPATED PATHS**

_He told of the things that fate does. _

…

…

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

There are times that fate seemed to be a toddler, playing with the occurrences it brings. One second you think you have things under control. The next thing you know, you're cursing fate for the sudden change in expectations. And of course, we, as mere and lowly humans, have nothing in our power to stop fate's child's play.

But, as funny (and idiosyncratic) as it may sound, despite the frustrations these twists of fate bring, it could be surprising to know that things do not go as unplanned as we see it to be.

Unexpected? Yes. But never in a bit unplanned.

As they say: Sometimes things that happen seem like annoyance in the moment but later end up being blessings in disguise.

XOOOOX

Like that one time when you were on the verge of completion of the thesis paper you and your partner had been working on for the past month. Normally, given all the research and time management, you could have finished typing the last page of the paper within thirty minutes, including the editing. However, as you scornfully know, fate has his own times of mischief, and so, allows a situation of total power loss – a blackout. Obviously it would lead to the shutdown of the desktop – and along with it was the unfinished paper.

You blink once…twice…thrice…even four times.

And then you scream.

…

You scream loudly.

…

You scream with full force.

…

You scream at the top of your lungs.

…

You just…scream.

Only when a large hand clamped itself onto your mouth did you regain a sense of control over your body, allowing a sudden rush of silence to flood the darkness surrounding you. You felt warm and serene, strangely quick, when his voice pierced the silence, commanding you to calm down. He asked where you kept hold of the emergency candles and matchsticks, though you wonder why he should ask in the first place. After all, this isn't the first or second time he had been inside your humble abode. Nevertheless, you answered, then following that slightly visible silhouette padding away to the place you bid him to.

However, no matter how much he told you to compose yourself, it couldn't be denied that you were somewhat frustrated at the reality of a cursed thesis paper left one page short on that stupid desktop with no power supply. Overthinking, as old people told, had the tendency to leer a person away from alertness in the present time and this was strongly proven when – heavens, in your own house – you tripped across that little floor mat beside the kitchen door, causing you to stagger and threaten a humiliating fall on the kitchen tiles.

Then, another unexpected grant of fate denied you that humiliation.

His smooth voice reached your ears, asking whether you were okay. Physically you were, but you knew that you were not due to that deviant rise of temperature on that part of your arm he currently held and used to keep you on your feet. And suddenly, suddenly, you were thankful of the darkness because he wouldn't be able to see how your expression changed at that slight moment – an expression even you yourself couldn't figure out what.

The sound of the crackling newly lit matchstick made melody to your ears as you held the object carefully, warily transferring that glow onto the candle wick. He did the same, joining his candle onto your glowing one, making the light grow stronger now that two were fully lit.

You looked up casually, finally being able to see in the darkness and the first thing you saw was him. Yes. Him. Strangely, he was looking back at you with a small smile, rare and unexpected of him. But you didn't mind. Because at that time, you were too drawn to the sight of his milky orbs which reflected gold – shining and flickering along with his light and a melody only you could hear. A melody you knew came deep inside you.

Blinking again and tuning out that personal sound, you excused yourself, knowing he would take the cue to follow. You both laid the candles on the dining table, and then took a comfortable seat next to each other, hoping to find a way to pass the time. In front of you, the flames danced to the tune of a melody unheard, giving way to flickering shadows at the background.

It all started out with a conversation between ideas on what to do next regarding the thesis paper, but as time passed by, you noticed that it was becoming more and more of an exchange of stories between the two of you – stories consisting of his and your personal achievements, failures, fears and strengths. A topic you didn't want to share with anybody, oddly excluding him. It transpired to academics, likes, dislikes, friends, and eventually family.

Time passed more, and now you found yourself in a serious conversation.

When you look back on your life, you would greatly wonder how the conversation turned very much one-sided.

Funny how a simple power shortage could let your mind wander and blabber all about the things you didn't want anyone in this world to know. Recalling all buried hopes, you breathe slowly, calming yourself as you continue on your tales about life as you have seen it. You once believed in fairytales. But now, you were not so sure. After all, in fairy tales, the heroine was supposed to be happy, smiling, and complete and satisfied, which was far from what you see in your own. You continued to let it out, mostly in a whisper, sometimes in quite loudness, but overall, in a sincere tone. You let it out, wishing you knew what fates have in store for you now because in all honesty, you never wanted any of the pasts it gave you – you never wanted your life to be complicated enough just because parents didn't know how to work their bonds out. Sure. Leave it all behind; stand up; start all over again. However, easier said than done, you knew in yourself that no matter how much you tried, the only thing you could give fates was forgiveness, but you could never forget.

You laugh humorlessly, feeling the knot on your throat as you jest about how you shouldn't be in this town in the first place. Maybe, if only your parents understood, you would still be with them. Maybe everything wasn't as vague as what you see now. You start to wonder what could have happened if things were not the way it seemed. You start to question what and where you would be right at this moment.

You stare ahead, watching the silent dance of two flames from different candlesticks.

You stare beyond it, seeing how the shadows illuminated the whole house.

For a moment, only the sound of the crackling wick filled your ears.

Sighing, you looked down; apologizing for such fuzz and unnecessary burden you have spoken out. Of all the situation…of all the words…of all the things…_of all the people_…this day couldn't get any more worse, couldn't it?

A sudden dimness filled your sight. Acting on instinct, you raised your head, only to find out that he had blown out the flame on his candle. You watched skeptically as he watched the smoke rise up in the air in gray tendrils, thinning, dispersing, and finally disappearing from sight.

When the candle had been fully extinguished, embers and all, he casually took hold of it again, only to rekindle the flame he quenched. And together with yours, the glow of the surroundings went brighter than a couple minutes ago.

In reality, the implication of the action eluded you, proven by your silent stare. But then, you never expected that it would be nothing compared to the minutes that would follow. Had someone told you that this moment would come, you would have laughed your heart out and dismiss it, knowing that it was close to impossibility.

Wrong.

Still keeping eyes on the candles, he called out your name, putting your senses to full alert. You expected a string of berates; lectures; or perhaps disapproval and rejection on his part. You expected the worst to come, since it was all that came when you hoped for a sliver of sunlight in the darkness. However, what came out of his mouth was something you wouldn't ever forget.

He told of the things that fate does. Sometimes, he spoke, fate does things totally out of our understanding that would keep us on the edge of our seats but eventually, if we look hard enough, we would see the real meaning behind it all – the rainbow after the rain; the light after the tunnel; the joy after the pain.

He caught you eye to eye.

The love after the hatred

XOOOOX

There are times that fate seemed to be a toddler, playing with the occurrences it brings. One second you think you have things under control. The next thing you know, you're cursing fate for the sudden change in expectations. And of course, we, as mere and lowly humans, have nothing in our power to stop fate's child's play.

Yes, you conclude. Fate does really have a strange way of dealing with matters. Nevertheless, no matter how strange, annoying or even tragic these ways are, it still does know how to knit matters back together to create a more perfect picture than what we have in mind. We are all nothing but a single thread in the tapestry of life. We have no power to go against the flow that fates wanted to lead us to. We have nothing to say against the will of heavens, no matter how surprising, unpleasant, or even unexpected it is. Twists of fate, as people would say.

But, as funny (and idiosyncratic) as it may sound, despite the frustrations these twists of fate bring, it could be surprising to know that things do not go as unplanned as we see it to be.

You remember that night and _that_ special moment. Involuntarily, you stroke your left hand – the one he held – and close your eyes, reminiscing the warm but firm touch, along with those words that would just make your heart _fly._

_If it weren't for these twists of fate, you would never be with me._

Unexpected? Yes. But never in a bit unplanned.

As you finish writing in your journal, it had already become an unspoken promise that never once would you doubt simple occurrences in life, such as an unforeseen power shortage. For, as they say: Sometimes things that happen seem like annoyance in the moment but later end up being blessings in disguise.

You held the pencil twirling between your fingers as you looked over your neat work. Giggling, you finish your writings with one last scribble at the bottom of the page before retiring to rest.

…

…

_Hyuuga Neji:_

…

_My special twist of fate…_

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**=) If it wasn't for that inconvenience, this wouldn't exist on my profile. =)**

**I just hoped that the new writing style didn't confuse anyone. I kind of wanted to try something different, well at least for me. (in this case, writing in second person.)**

**Yukina appreciates your taking a few minutes of your time to read her story.**

**Kami no gokago ga arimasu youni.**


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